The present invention relates to livestock feed supplements, and particularly to a livestock feed supplement block having a molded base with a feed supplement composition compressed into the base.
Cattle and other commercially raised livestock are often provided with xe2x80x9csalt licksxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cprotein and energy lick blocksxe2x80x9d as a dietary feed supplement to assure that the livestock receive sufficient nutrients in their diet, including protein, vitamins and minerals. Such supplements are often fed either in block form, allowing the livestock to feed on a free-choice basis, or mixed into livestock feed in predetermined portions. When free-choice feeding blocks are used, the amount of such supplement consumed by livestock can generally be controlled by regulating the hardness and palatability of the blocks.
These lick blocks are commonly produced as heavy blocks that are generally cubic in shape and tend to be unwieldy and difficult to handle. Such xe2x80x9csquarexe2x80x9d blocks can weigh, e.g., up to approximately 50 pounds. When provided in a larger, xe2x80x9cbarrelxe2x80x9d shape, these lick blocks can weigh up to, for example, 250 pounds. In use, the lick blocks are usually placed about the area in which the cattle are being raised, and they generally include a number of vitamins, minerals or other nutrients.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,089 (which is commonly owned by the owner of the present invention) describes a highly palatable feed stock supplement providing high by-pass protein (i.e., protein that can be directly absorbed in the animal""s intestine without having to be metabolized in a ruminant animal""s stomach) without using molasses or urea. The supplement is formulated using byproducts of grain alcohol fermentation and standard amounts of other nutritional supplements, including vitamins and minerals. The supplement may be formed into a relatively hard barrel-type block for free-choice feeding or it may be mixed into livestock feed in granular form.
Handling of lick blocks can be quite difficult, given the substantial weight and bulky shape of many of the blocks currently produced. As a result, containers have been developed to assist in transporting and delivering the lick blocks to the site of use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,099 (also commonly owned by the owner of the present invention) provides a barrel-type container for storing, transporting and handling lick-block material. The container includes a generally cylindrical wall and generally circular floor. The floor and wall meet to define a curved bottom edge of the container. The floor of the container includes a channel having a center line disposed away from the center of the floor. The channel is sized and positioned on the floor such that when two containers are positioned adjacent each other in side-by-side abutment with the channels positioned generally parallel to one another, the channels are adapted to receive a standard-sized forklift fork.
Various current animal feed supplements provided in block form have been described. U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,818 describes an animal feed supplement in block form that comprises a composition of a sugar solution and a solidifying component together with optional amounts of animal nutrients. The feed supplement is solidified and provided in a cardboard carton with a plurality of vertical cardboard partitions incorporated therein. Another animal feed supplement block configuration is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,249. This configuration involves pouring a chemically hardening feed supplement mixture into a mold lined with a bag formed of a water soluble plastic. The top edges of the plastic bag are folded against the surface of the liquid mixture in the mold, and an adhesively backed label can be applied over the folded edges. The mold is stripped after the supplement mixture has solidified into a block.
Although the barrel-type container of the ""099 patent has met with considerable commercial success, Applicant has found that there exists a need for improved feed supplement blocks. For example, after the livestock have consumed a feed supplement composition, the user must either dispose of the barrel-type container, or he or she must return the container to the manufacturer for reuse. If the container is to be reused, it must be returned to the site of manufacture, washed, disinfected and re-filled with feed supplement composition. This procedure entails significant costs, including freight, handling, labor and storage costs. The costs of transporting and/or storing empty containers are not insignificant, adding to the overall production costs of the feed block. Additionally, it is desirable to reduce the bulk and weight of the container used to transport the feed block composition, thereby reducing overall delivery costs.
The present invention provides a livestock feed supplement block comprising a molded base and a livestock feed supplement composition compressed into the base and extending vertically upwardly out from the base. The molded base includes a generally cylindrical wall having upper and lower ends, the cylindrical wall preferably having a radially inwardly extending annular shelf, and a generally circular floor. The floor of the base is integrally formed with the wall to define an upwardly open interior cavity and is configured and arranged to define a downwardly open channel. The opposite ends of the channel are defined by a pair of downwardly open notches in the wall, and the channel has a center line disposed away from the center of the generally circular floor. The livestock feed supplement composition of the present invention is compressed into the base and has an upper end and a generally cylindrical outer surface extending down to meet the upper end of the base""s cylindrical wall. The height of the side-wall surface is at least about twice the distance between the upper and lower ends of the wall of the base.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the molded base is fabricated of a biodegradable material, such that once the feed supplement composition has been consumed by livestock, the base does not have to be removed from the site of use. Rather, the base can remain in the field and allowed to degrade naturally. This eliminates the need to dispose of the base or store and reuse the base in another application.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the livestock feed supplement composition is provided in a form such that it consists essentially of dried grains, selected nutritional supplements, and a moisture laden component such as condensed distillers solubles, corn steep liquor, or the like. This formulation of the feed supplement composition is sufficiently rigid when cured to be generally self-supporting during transportation and use, without the need for exterior walls extending up the entire height of the livestock feed block
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of preparing a livestock feed supplement block The method includes the step of providing a molded base that includes a generally cylindrical wall having upper and lower ends, the cylindrical wall preferably having a radially inwardly extending annular shelf, and a generally circular floor that is integrally formed with the wall to define an upwardly open interior cavity, the floor being configured and arranged to define a downwardly open channel. The opposite ends of the channel are defined by a pair of downwardly open notches in the wall, the channel having a center line disposed away from the center of the generally circular floor. A mold is provided that is upwardly and downwardly open, the mold being defined by a generally cylindrical wall having a bottom edge. The molded base is aligned adjacent to the bottom edge of the cylindrical mold wall, and a flowable granular livestock feed supplement composition is poured into the mold. The livestock feed supplement composition is compressed into the base within the mold to form a feed supplement block. The compressed feed supplement block, including its base, is then removed from the mold. The method of the present invention significantly reduces the time required for curing the feed supplement composition prior to transportation and use, since the side walls of the feed supplement composition are exposed to circulating air. This reduces the overall production time required to prepare the feed supplement block, and provides a cost effective method of providing the feed supplement.
In these aspects, the present invention provides a livestock feed supplement block including a molded base and livestock feed supplement composition compressed into the base. Thus, there is provided a cost-effective livestock feed supplement block that can be easily transported to the site of use. The present invention is readily used with a standard forklift, and its configuration allows it to be rolled on its side during manual handling. Further, the molded base and feed supplement composition are fabricated such that the overall bulk of the feed block is reduced. When emptied, the molded bases can be easily stacked so that an individual base is xe2x80x9cnestedxe2x80x9d within another molded base. This nesting significantly reduces the amount of space required for shipping and storing the empty base, particularly in comparison to prior art barrels. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the base of the present invention can be fabricated from a biodegradable composition, eliminating the need to dispose or store materials after the feed block composition itself has been consumed.